The original Surface RT tablet was released in 2012, going on sale on October 26 of that year. Microsoft announced it at a Los Angeles event in June 2012, presenting the device as its first major in-house hardware effort and a direct competitor to Apple's iPad.
The tablet launched alongside Windows 8 and introduced Windows RT, a version of Windows designed for ARM-based processors. Its Nvidia Tegra 3 chip, 10.6-inch display, magnesium casing, built-in kickstand, USB port, and optional Touch Cover or Type Cover gave it a distinctive design.
A common mix-up is confusing the original Surface with the Surface Pro. The ARM-based Surface RT arrived in October 2012, while the Intel-based Surface Pro followed in February 2013. The original tablet was later updated to Windows RT 8.1 and succeeded by the Surface 2 in 2013.
Despite praise for its hardware and keyboard covers, Surface RT struggled because Windows RT could not run traditional desktop Windows applications and had a limited app catalog. Microsoft eventually took a roughly $900 million write-down on unsold inventory.